Information for physicians

The IFB AdiposityDiseases and the University Hospital Leipzig cooperate with resident physicians who treat obese patients. Especially after bariatric surgery aftercare by the hospital doctors and family physicians is important. Here is a collection of helpful information and links:

What treatment options are available for patients with obesity?

The current Guidelines for conservative and surgical treatment of obesity in adults and in children and adolescents can be found on the website of the German Obesity Society (Deutsche Adipositas-Gesellschaft, DAG). The5-A-Adiposity-Management-Manual offers support for registered doctors who treat patients with obesity (guidelines and manual are in German).

In the area of Leipzig, for example, the IFB obesity outpatient clinics at the University Hospital are available for adults and children & adolescents. Adults need a referral from an internist, children and adolescents by a paediatrician.

Here you will find information about the conservative treatments in the IFB obesity outpatient clinic as well as for surgical treatments (bariatric surgery) and the comprehensive aftercare. Especially after bariatric surgery comorbidities such as type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure are improving. In some cases it comes to complete remission. This together with the possible vitamin and nutrient deficiencies in bariatric patients require longterm medical aftercare.

Nationwide various hospitals have obesity outpatient clinics or centers. Similarly, there are a variety of medical and nutritional practices that offer specific obesity therapies. The German Obesity Society provides an overview of obesity treatment facilities nationwide. Also the obesity portal presents information on relevant addresses.

Specific multimodal therapy programs

Nationwide M.O.B.I.L.I.S.offers in cities one-year programs for obese patient groups that are supervised by interdisciplinary trained medical-coaching-teams. The program is suitable for adults which can participate in sports activities and have a BMI of 30 to 40 kg /sqm.

The IFB adiposity outpatient clinic and various other clinics offer the one year Doc Weight® program for adults with a BMI of over 40 kg/sqm. There patients train in groups to change their exercise and eating habitsstep by step with the help of physicians, sports and nutrition professionals and psychologists.

Obese people whose health insurer is AOK Plus Saxony and Thuringia have the possibility to participate in the Leipzig Obesity Management at the University Hospital Leipzig. In this comprehensive program patients are interdisciplinary treated and supervised, if necessary even beyond one year.

For the region of Leipzig, the health organization KLAKS e.V. also offers a one-year multimodal weight loss program for children and adolescents (7 to 17 years) as well as a special program for preschoolers. Within these patient groups the involvement and cooperation of the parents is essential.

Interaction with obese patients

Many physicians and health professionals conceive dealing with obese people partly as difficult. Studies of the IFB AdiposityDiseases have shown, that not only the population but also healthcare professionals have negative attitudes and prejudices towards obese people. Frequently, they are fully blamed for their overweight and negative characteristics such as laziness or a lack of discipline are ascribed to obese patients. Both is a sign of prejudice and stigmatization.

The book "Best Weight - A Guide for obesity management in practice" that gives practical tips to treatment and handling of obesity is recommended for physicians, nursing staff and therapists. The guide (Pabst Verlag, 2012) and other books on obesity and bariatrics can be ordered by the Association of Dieticians - German Federal Association e.V. (VDD).

Very good information on the interaction with obese patients and on stigmatization provides the Yale Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity. The videos of the center show how the stigmatization of these patients occurs. These videos can also be found on Youtube (key word: "weight bias").